FINALLY - I have finished my first 3d CAD / casted puzzle. A true labor of love - ha! I call this the TIE Cube, because of its (sort of) resemblance to a TIE fighter from Star Wars.

There are many things that could be majorly improved, but since I've never done this before, I'm very happy overall with how it turned out! I would consider it a good prototype and a VERY good learning process.

The basic concept is that two opposite sides can turn 90 degrees, but all other turns are limited to 180 degree turns. The solved state has two of these sides at 90 degree turns creating a sort of bandage / brick cube look, and adding to the general confusion when solving (I haven't solved it yet...)

The cube is very heavy since the pieces are not hollow at all. I used Solidworks to design the puzzle - printed the masters from Print to 3D, smoothed them with solvent cement. I used an Alumilite starter kit to make the molds, and used the tan resin to make the puzzle. I dyed the pieces with RIT liquid dye, and hand cut the stickers from Oracle stock. Yes, the stickers were rushed, but I've spent way too much time and money on this already. It took me two sets of molds, and two complete casts before I got it right. I've been working on it since December - probably about 15 hours spent on this in total I would guess!

Next on the to do list - I plan to adjust the Solidworks file, adding in slightly better tolerances. As it is the puzzle is very smooth and even cuts comers okay, but it jams up just a tiny bit from time to time. I also want to try hollowing out the bigger pieces to make it lighter and so it will take less resin to make. I want to get some moldmax 30 to make better molds, and I'll probably print an entire puzzle this time so I can put multiple pieces in one mold. I'll also get machine cut stickers next time. Maybe then at that point I'd consider selling a handful if they turn out okay!

Also, before I forget - Thanks to everyone who helped me with my many questions along the way!

VERY GOOD JOB!!! I LOVE IT!!!!

Really cool!
You should have asked in the description why people think you called it TIE cube, rather than just telling right away.
I guessed immediately the TIE fighter similarity when I saw the pictures. I was about to ask you if you called it TIE cube because of that. Than I remembered I should read first before posting.

A cube that turns like a cuboid!
BTW:
According to Jaap it has a mere (?) 19 508 428 800 permutations.

Wow! What puzzle on Jaap's page did you find that is similar - maybe it can help me solve it - lol!

I guessing it's this page http://www.jaapsch.net/puzzles/subgroup.htm It has a lot of info about all kinds of restrictions.

I'd solve it like a domino for the top/bottom layers, then solve the middle layer like a floppy cube.

Very nice puzzle. It's fun to virtually play with things like this on the 3x3x3, but it's more fun to have the real puzzle in your hands.

Ah - thanks! I should have figured that out on my own! Still kind of a bear to solve, but it makes sense to me anyway! If I'm not mistaken, this would solve very similar to the new crazy 2x2x3...

EDIT - I solved it now - it solves just like a 3x3x4, once you've solved the "inner domino" but there is no "parity" of course... The hardest part is just wrapping your brain around what the solved state actually is before the final half turn...

Very nice!

Dave

Extraordinary concept! I want to have one - of the heavy ones.

This puzzle is really cool. I want it! (along with everything else I want)

This is awesome!

This is pretty neat. You can simulate this with a fisher cube fairly easily. If you restrict a fisher cube to only moves that do not change its shape. You have almost the same puzzle. The only two differences would be that 4 of the fisher cube centers have visible orientations while all 6 centers on the TIE cube lack orientations AND the extra layer turn to complete the TIE cube which is of course not present on the Fisher Cube. So if anyone wants to try this puzzle out, pull out your fisher Cubes!

Congrats on your first 3d-printed build jabeck. It turned out really nice!

Peace,
Matt Galla